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5 hospitalized after carbon monoxide leak at Carol City Elementary School

MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Several people, including children, were rushed to the hospital after a carbon monoxide leak at an elementary school in Miami Gardens.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene at Carol City Elementary School, just after 1:30 p.m., Wednesday.

7News cameras captured a door propped open at the school in an attempt to air out the cafeteria.

MDFR officials said they transported five patients, consisting of three children and two adults, to nearby hospitals. Three other people were affected but didn’t need to be transported.

Investigators said it’s possible a truck backed up into the school and the driver forgot to turn the engine off.

“My understanding is that’s one of the possible scenarios. However, they weren’t able to confirm that was absolutely the cause,” MDFR Lt. Kirsten Miller said. “What we do know is it’s not an ongoing cause ’cause once they were able to ventilate the building, the carbon monoxide did not come back.”

Classes were not in session at the time.

A Miami-Dade Public Schools official said employees were at the school with their children.

District officials also said carbon monoxide detectors, they believe, did go off inside the school, but MDFR said it wasn’t until firefighters walked into the school that their own devices started alerting them, which was how they first became aware of the hazmat situation.

Officials continue to investigate what caused the carbon monoxide leak.

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